The evaluation of the sympathetic dysfunction in patients with cerebrovascular disease using QT interval in electrocardiogram

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Stroke Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 361 - 367
• Main Authors: Mochio, Soichiro, Oka, Hisayoshi, Sato, Kenichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Stroke Society 1992
• Subjects: autonomic nervous system; cerebrovascular disease; electrocardiogram; QT interval; ΔQT
• ISSN: 0912-0726; 1883-1923
• DOI: 10.3995/jstroke.14.361

We evaluated the autonomic nervous function in patients with cerebrovascular disease by the objective and quantitative method of sympathetic function test using QT interval in electrocardiogram. First, we constructed a regression line of QT interval with respect to R-R interval in 602 healthy controls in order to obtain QT interval free from R-R interval. And ΔQT was calculated, which was the differences between the measured QT interval and the value of QT interval obtained by substituting each R-R interval for regression line of healthy controls. Second, QT interval in 42 patients with cerebrovascular disease who had the duration more than a month were measured and the ΔQT were calculated and were compared with those of age-matched 42 healthy control. We also estimated the relationship between clinical findings of cerebrovascular disease and those ΔQT. The measurement of QT interval was carried out using the autocardiner FCP2201 (FUKUDA DENSHI Co. Ltd.) The following results were obtained. 1) The regression line of QT interval (ymsec) with respect to R-R interval (xmsec) was indicated as y=0.143x + 243. The value of ΔQT in healthy control was 0 ± 17 msec. 2) The mean value of ΔQT in the patients with cerebrovascular disease was 29 msec, which was significantly larger than AT in age-matched 42 healthy controls, 9 msec. The value of ΔQT of the patients with the duration less than a year in cerebrovascular disease (29 msec) was significantly larger than that with more than a year (17 msec). From the above results, it is suggested that the sympathetic function of the patients with the duration less than a year in cerebrovascular disease was significantly disturbed than that of those with the duration more than a year. The measurement of ΔQT is useful clinically for the evaluation of sympathetic dysfunction in the patients with cerebrovascular disease.